Flying-machine.



B. E. LESSARD.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mum JUNE 25, 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

3 BHEETSBHEET 2.

' INVENTOR. QZmerE-Lessa rd- WITNESSES: A W L .M

- 4111 01: NE Y.

E. E. LESSARD.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION 211.1211 JUNE 25, 1910.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1w VENTOR. Elm/E 'L ssa rd- ITTORNEY ELMER E. LESSARID, 0F HEBER, ARKANSAS.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

I Application'flled June 25, 1910. Serial No. 588,880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. Lnssann, citizen of the United States, residing at Heber, in the county of Oleburne and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Imprtwe'ments in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a-full,"clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in flying-machines of the heavierthan-air type; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation-of'the machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation-thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan on a larger scale, one section of the supporting plane and gasolene tank being'omitted, and part of the rear steering and elevating plane broken Fig. 4: is a front elevation of the driving gear detached; Fig. 5 is a detail plan of the controlling mechanism for the combined steering and elevating plane; Fig.

.6 is'a transverse vertical section on the line (3-43 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of one-half ofthe machine-frame and motorsupporting platform (parts being broken) and the balance wing, showing in dotted outline the position assumed by the tilting of the machine-frame; and Fig. 8 is a crosssection through the balance wing or tip on theline 8+8 of Fig. 7

1 The object of my inventionlis toconstru'ct a mono-plane'flying machine in which the plane shall beso disposed as to insure a rapid rise for the machine after the propelling motor has been started; one in which .a specially suspended motor-supporting platform. is'sccured to the machine-frame,

' permitting-the latter to oscillate under the influence ofside currents without disturbing the motor from its position; one which is provided ;withjspecial automatically responsive balance wing'sor tips; one making special provision for ope'rating the rear combined elevating and steering plane; andone possessing further and other advantages .better apparentfrom a detailed deseription of the invention,;which is as follows.:-

Referring to the drawings, F represents the machine-frame composed of light material securely tied and braced as best appeals to the skilled mechanic, the lower front extension of said frame being provided with running wheels V. Secured in pivotal or hinged relation to the frame F is the motorsupporting frame F which, when the ma chine is in flight hangs vertically from the main frame F, this hinged relation between the frames subserving a special purpose as presently will more fully appear. Theaxis of suspension of the frame F corres onds to the central longitudinal axis of the rame F as best seen in Fig. 2. The rear extension of the motor-supporting frame F is provided with running wheels W, the. front extension of the main frame F being of sufficient length to cause'the machine' to incline forwardly and upwardly when resting on the ground (Fig. 1), so as to facilitate the passage of the air under the supporting plane sections the moment the motor is started. Built outwardly from the upper frame work of the main frame F, are the. trusses t, t, and frame-work t which when covered over with suitable sheet material constitute triangular supporting planes P. The planes P may be considered as mere sections of a single'plane, one section on each side ofthe frame F, the top-of which is left uncovered. Or, the frame 'F with its supporting-plane sections P, 1?, may be regarded as a single frame, the center of which is leftuncovered.

Resting on the platform of the suspended frame F is a motor M, supplied with fuel from a gasolene tank G, all of which is represented conventionally herein. The 1110- tor-shaft terminates at one end in a flywheel w' and at the opposite end in a bevel pinion 1, the latter meshing with a bevel gear 2 carried by a vertical shaft 3 on the platform, the upper end of theshaft being guided and supported by a U-shapedw bracket-strap 4 t rough the armsof. which freely passesa pin or supporting member-s5- mounted in bearings 6, 6, which are disposed on the axis of suspension of the frame F, or what is the equivalent on the axis. of

oscillation of the frame F when the machine is lifted off the ground. The upper end of- }the shaft 3 projecting above the'strap 4 terminates'in a bevel pinion 7 which meshes with the "bevel" gears 8, 8, disposed on oppo--" site sides thereof, said gears being loose on] the pin or axle 5 'a-nd'confined between the arms of the strap 4 (Fi 1, 3, 4). In simultaneous' mesh with t e gears 8', 8, and disposed on opposite sides of the axis of suspension of the frame F (or the axis'of oscillation of the frame F with its plane sections P, P) are bevel pinions 9, 9, the same being carried at the upper ends of the inclined laterally diverging shafts 10, 10, which at the to are supported in straps 11, 11, secured to tile main frame F. The outer and lower ends of the shafts 10 are supported in brackets 12 at the outer ends ofthe members 13 of the main frame F, the shaft terminal on one side being provided with a bevel pinion 14 the teeth of which are presented outwardly (ri ht hand Fig. 4), whereas the shaft termini on the opposite side is provided with a bevel pinion 14 the teeth of whichare presented inwardly (left hand Fig. 4)., Each pinion 14, 14 meshes with the terminal pinion 15,15, at the inner end of a no eller shaft 16 mounted on the frame F, the outer ends ofxthe shafts terminating in ro llers 17. It fol-, lows from the s ecic di sposition of the pinions 14,14, (t e o e-bei on the'inside, and the. other on the outsi e .of the bevel pinion 15) that the-rotations of the shafts 16 and their propellers will. be simultaney eusly-in opposite d-irections, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

porting w atthe center of the frame F dles 27 disposed at the ends of the transverse I 'eda frame, thes indles frame F.

Hinged along one edge (front edge) to a U-sha'ped' bar or strap 18 3) at the extremity of the front edge of each supplane section. I, and forming an extension of the general triangular formaftion of said section P, is 'a-balance win ortip 19 tothe base of the rear edge of-wfiich and "on OPPQsite-sides whereof are attached ..'the outer ends of cables-c, cf, (Fig. 8) eachcable passing over vertieall sheaves or grooved pulleys 20, thence in-. wardly over secondary pulleys 21, 2 1;. dt'fposed at right angles to the pulleys 20, 'e cable a thence passing under the plane-sections P, (Fig. 7) over a pul1ey22, thence downward over a to the anchor a: on t eframe F; the cable 0' after leavin the ulley 21 passes over a pulley 24,.t ence ownward over a pulley 25, thence inward, joining with the cable 0 at the anchor :c. What is true of one side of the machine is-true of the other, each cable 0, c',;passing over pulleys 22, 23 and 24, 25 respectivel and jolnin M s At the rear end of the frame F vertically oscillating frame 26, the same 7) 1s mountjbeing provided with lateral projecting spin-..

axis of' oscillation (or rotation) of said having bearings in the he inner end-of said frame 26 has secured thereto, and leading from it in ydisposed Themanner of oscillatln the frame 26 ulley 23, thence inward at an anchor opposite directions 'the laps of an endless cable at (Fig. 1) the upper lap passing over and the bottom lap passmg under a. groo'ye pulley or sheave 28, each la then passing over a guide pulle 29, an thence wrappin about the dis 30, which is rovided wit an operating lever 31 wit in easy reach of the aviator. By oscillating the lever 31 first in one direction and then the other, a vertical oscillating movement may direct y supports the combined elevati and steering .plane 32. This plane is triangular as shown, the apex of. the triangle terminating in a rock-shaft 33 which is S'llP-' ported by the frame 26, and disposed along the central longitudinal axis thereof (Figs. 5, 6). The center ortion of the shaft 33 is gripped between tl e upper forked end ofa the endless cable c, the laps of the cable assing over gui-depulleys 35, 35,- 36, 36 and finally "wra pingabout the bottom s ave 37 of a sta 38 provided with a handeel 39 within easy reach of the aviator. By turning. the wheel 39 (and hence the staff 38 the oscillatin ,asalread plane 32 movements of the frame 26.

comes at once an elevating and 'steerin lane combined. The lane-sections y reason of their pecu iar construction are elastic, and hence readily re- .spond to any variations of pressure inherent in the supporting air-column. 1

and independently rocking t e shaft 33 and plane 32 having ust been alluded to, there -1s no occasion to re I at the operation there- 'of attli'is point. ufiice it to say however, that an oscillation of the frame 26 will oscillate the plane 32 with it so as .to elevate or depress the machine in flight; and a rocking, ofthe shaft 33 will steerthe machine 1n flight, makin the member 32 .a combined elevating an steering plane;- the plane of oscillation for purposes of'.steering being at right angles to that for purposes of elevation and depression.

as follows :As stated above, the moment the machine leaves the ground; the frame frame F. The motorM being set in motion,

and to the pinion 1 of said shaft. This r0 'tates-the shaft 3, and through the gearing dependin controlling arm 34, to the lower end of w ich is secured from opposite idesation in a longitudinal plane as a result of- The operation of the propellers 17' and the balance tips or wings 19 1s sitbstantially' be im arted to the frame 26, which frame and sheave 37 )first in one direction and-then escribed, it follows that the i 1 25 F becomes virtually suspended from the a rotation is imparted to theshaft thereof 3 described, the latter im arts rotation to the Igar wheels 8, 8 these 1n turn rotating the site 10, 10, and pinions 14, 14 in opposite directions; but as the inions 14, 14' are relatively on correspon ing sides of their respective coo rating pmions 15 15 the propeller, shag 16, 16, and their pro I pellers"17,'17, will likewise rotate in oposcillate, under the-disturbing' influence of ding the air.

side currents, the cords a, c, Wlll be-so drawn upon as to do ice: the wing or tip 19 on the depressed si e of the machine (Fi 7 while the wing or tip on the raised si e wi 1 be raisedor oscillated upwardly, thus shed- Thus the frame F with its plane-sections P, P,'will tend to right itself, the descending tip 19 on the epressed side of the machine resisting the air against it, and the aseendinfilgip on the elevating side of the machine 8 ding the air as explained. The action of the wings 19, 19, is entirely automatic, the endless cables 0, 0', with which each tip is connected laying over their respective j'she'aves or pu eys 22 23 and 24, 25 as previously descri when the machine sails on an even keel, that is to say, when there are no disturbing side currents, the cords o, c are evenly r awn upon and the 68:19, 19, assume a horizontal position, there ing then as much pressure on top as on the bottom of each wing. The

sections P, B, may be considered, as a singlesnpportin'g plane for practical purposes. They are here termed as sections from the fact that the top of the center of the frame I" is left uncovered.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A flying-machine comprising a main central frame, lateral supporting-plane secticns extending therefrom, a motor-supporting frame pivotally suspended from the center of the main frame between the plane sections aforesaid, a-vertical shaft propelled by the motor, mounted on the suspended frame, a bevel lpinion at the upper end of.

said shaft, beve gears disposed on opposite sides of the pinion aforesaid and mounted loosely on their axles, bevel pinions on opositesides. of, the axis of the sus ended rame, laterallydiverging downwar ly; in-

clined shafts to which said pinions are secured, bevel pinions at the lower ends of said diver 'n shafts, the teeth of the pinion of one s a being resented outwardly and those of the other 1nwardly,'suitable pro ller shafts, and inions on said pro er shafts engagin t e lower termina pinions of the incline as set forth.

2. In a flying-machine, a main central frame, a motor-carrying frame suspended pivotally from the main frame, lateral suportin triangular plane-sections extendi m t e main frame, a balance win hinge along one edge at the extremity of edge of each support-in lane-section and for'min an extension 0 .t e general triangular ormat-ion of said section, cords attached on opposite sides to the base of the vrear edge'of each ,wing, suitable grooved .pulleys distributed along each supporting section over'which each cable is passed, the ends of the cable being brought and fastened to a fixedanchor on the motor-carrying frame, the parts operating as set forth.

n testimon whereof I aflix my signature, in presence 0 two witnesses.

ELMER. E. LESSARD. Witnesses:

Earn. STAREK,

Famun E.'Wnnnn.

' Copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."-

shafts, the parts operating e front 

